Prince George Fire staffing shortages raise concerns about emergency response times

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Prince George County Fire Department is grappling with a significant staffing shortage, raising concerns about how quickly firefighters and EMTs can respond to emergencies.

According to Fire Chief Pedro Caceres, only nine firefighters are on duty at any given time, which is below the national standard of 16 to 17 personnel responding to a house fire.

“We're not going to do less with less, but we're going to do the best we can with what we’ve got,” Caceres told 8News.

Caceres, who took over as chief six months ago, said the issue was immediately evident with most of the county's stations operating with just two firefighters per shift.

If a medic truck responds to a call, the station’s fire engine is effectively out of service until it returns.

Prince George County Fire and EMS: Photo courtesy of 8NEws Sahara Sriramen

The consequences of the shortage were clear during a house fire on Templeton Road in April.

“For the first 20 minutes of the fire, there were only six people on scene," Caceres said. "Six people is not anywhere near enough.”

While crews fought the blaze, three more medical emergencies came in which included a report of chest pain, a difficulty breathing call and an unconscious patient.

Caceres said it took 24 minutes to respond to the unconscious person and 27 minutes to reach the other two.

The county has approved seven new hires and expects four recruits to graduate next month. However, even with those additions, the department will still fall short of national staffing recommendations.

Caceres said, part of the strain comes from a nationwide decline in volunteer firefighters. Prince George like many rural and suburban areas, has historically relied on volunteers to supplement full-time staff.

“I’m optimistic about it,” Caceres said, “but the reality is that there’s a lot of factors outside of my control.”

To close the gap, the department is considering applying for the SAFER Grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) — a federal program that helps local fire departments hire more personnel.

“If the runs keep increasing like this, we’re going to put ourselves in a position where bad things could happen,” Caceres warned.

Caceres is hoping to add five additional firefighters to one of the stations by spring, a step in the right direction, but still not enough to meet the growing demand.